Thu Jan 30, 2014

It's not a Super Bowl party without wings—well, no party is a party without wings in my opinion. My insatiable appetite for these tiny delectable pieces of poultry have led to a plethora of grilled wing recipes over the years and I've complied my ten favorites here. Spanning the standard Buffalo to Italian parmesan-garlic to sweet and spicy Korean, there's a wing here to suit just about every taste.

It's hard to beat the original. These crispy grilled wings get finished with the classic combo of Frank's Red Hot and butter, plus a few extra add-ins for extra depth. In terms of grilled Buffalo wings, you don't get much better than these.

It's hard to believe the sauce for these wings is made of only a few ingredients. Earthy, smoky, and spicy chipotles are contrasted against sweet honey, a touch of lime, and a dash of soy sauce to make wings that taste more complex than the work actually required.

When it comes to barbecue sauce, I love mine hot, and you don't get too much hotter than habanero. A sweet tomato base tempers the heat slightly, but allows for the fruitiness of the peppers to still shine through, making these a killer sticky barbecue hot wing.

Switching from one popular hot sauce—Frank's—to another—sriracha—gives these wings a completely different flavor profile. Spicy and garlicky sriracha is mixed with butter, honey, soy sauce, lime, and cilantro to result in an Asian-influenced wing that creates a crowd-pleasing alternative to the standard Buffalo.

Coating wings in a Cajun blackening seasoning instantly makes these wings deeply layered with spice. A finishing sauce of Louisiana hot sauce, butter, and Worcestershire ups the richness and heat to make them well rounded and a tough wing to beat thanks to their immense flavor.

Hoisin—the sweet foundation of most Chinese barbecue sauces—forms the backbone of these wings. Honey, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, 5-spice powder, and sesame seeds take the Asian flavor even further, resulting in a sweet wing with an underlaying saltiness and earthiness that make them taste more complex than they look.

Going with an Italian influence, crispy grilled wings are first coated in a mixture of olive oil, basil, thyme, garlic, and crushed red pepper. They're then tossed with parmesan to give them a nutty and sharp bite against the herbal base.

Old Bay—the Maryland classic seasoning blend—give these wing their strong taste of the seashore. A finishing sauce of hot sauce, butter, and Worcestershire adds a nice spicy and tang that pairs well with the Old Bay.